Landscaping Cost Breakdown Jacksonville FL

Every landscaping project in Jacksonville has two versions: what homeowners expect it to cost, and what it actually costs. The gap between those numbers creates more frustration than almost anything else in this business.

You might see a neighbor's new landscape and think "that looks like a $5,000 job," when it actually cost $15,000. Or you get three estimates for the same project and they range from $8,000 to $20,000, leaving you wondering if someone's trying to rip you off or if the low bidder is cutting corners.

Understanding where your money goes in a landscaping project helps you budget realistically and evaluate estimates. Jacksonville has specific factors that influence costs—our soil conditions, irrigation requirements, plant availability, and labor market all play a role.

Here's what actually drives the numbers on landscaping projects in Jacksonville.

Labor: The Biggest Cost You Don't Think About

Labor typically accounts for 40-60% of total landscaping costs, depending on the project type. In Jacksonville, skilled landscape crews command $50-$90 per person per hour, not including overhead, insurance, and equipment.

When you hire a professional company, you're not just paying for someone to dig holes. You're paying for:

• Workers' compensation insurance (required by law)
• Liability insurance
• Equipment maintenance and replacement
• Fuel and transportation
• Supervision and quality control
• Business overhead

A two-person crew costs the company $100-$180 per hour to put in the field. By the time you factor in profit margin (typically 15-25% for landscape companies), that's why you see hourly rates of $120-$225 for crew time.

Projects that require skilled labor cost more. Installing irrigation systems, building retaining walls, or working with large trees requires expertise that increases hourly rates.

Sod Installation: Not as Simple as You'd Think

Sod installation seems straightforward—unroll grass, water it, done. But there's more involved, and Jacksonville's soil conditions add complexity.

Typical sod installation costs in Jacksonville:

• Basic install (prep + sod + starter fertilizer): $0.65-$1.10 per square foot
• Full service (grading + soil amendment + sod + irrigation adjustment): $1.25-$2.00 per square foot

For a 5,000 square foot lawn, you're looking at $3,250-$10,000 depending on what's included.

Here's what drives the variation:

Site Preparation

Jacksonville yards range from pure sand to clay. Sandy soils need less grading but may require soil amendment. Clay soils might need extensive grading to improve drainage.

Basic prep (removing old grass, rough grading, rake): $0.15-$0.25/sq ft Full prep (removal, fine grading, soil testing, amendment): $0.40-$0.75/sq ft

If your yard has drainage issues or significant grade problems, preparation costs increase substantially.

Sod Type

Different grass varieties have different costs:

• Bahia: $0.18-$0.25 per square foot
• St. Augustine (standard): $0.35-$0.45 per square foot
• St. Augustine (premium varieties like Palmetto): $0.40-$0.55 per square foot
• Zoysia: $0.55-$0.80 per square foot
• Bermuda: $0.30-$0.40 per square foot

Those are material costs only, not installation.

Accessibility

If crews can back a truck up to your yard and unload directly, costs stay lower. If they're carrying pallets of sod through a gate and across 100 feet of existing landscape, labor costs increase 30-50%.

Timing

Sod is perishable. It needs to go from the farm to your yard to installed and watered within 24-48 hours or it dies. Rush orders or small quantities cost more because farms have minimum delivery requirements.

Irrigation Systems: The Hidden Investment

A functional irrigation system is non-negotiable in Jacksonville. Our summers are too hot and rainfall too unpredictable to rely on hand watering.

Full irrigation system installation:

• Small yard (2,000-4,000 sq ft): $2,500-$4,500
• Medium yard (4,000-8,000 sq ft): $4,500-$8,000
• Large yard (8,000-15,000 sq ft): $8,000-$15,000+

These ranges assume a typical residential system with 4-8 zones, a controller, backflow prevention, and professional installation.

What drives irrigation costs:

Zone Design

Proper zone design groups plants with similar water needs. Lawn areas, shrub beds, and flower beds each need different watering schedules and amounts.

More zones mean more valves, more pipe, more wiring, and more programming time. But inadequate zones lead to overwatering some areas while underwatering others.

Sprinkler Head Quality

Cheap big-box sprinkler heads cost $3-$8 each. Professional-grade heads from Hunter, Rain Bird, or Toro cost $12-$40 each. You might have 20-50 heads in a residential system.

Better heads have:

• More consistent coverage
• Longer lifespan
• Better pressure regulation
• Easier adjustment and maintenance

Going cheap on heads means more maintenance and shorter system life.

Controller Technology

Basic mechanical timers: $50-$100 Standard digital controllers: $150-$400 Wi-Fi/smart controllers: $200-$500+

Smart controllers adjust watering based on weather, soil moisture, and plant type. They save water and improve plant health, which offsets the higher initial cost over time.

Soil Conditions

Installing irrigation in Jacksonville sand is straightforward. Installing in clay or areas with roots, rocks, or existing utilities takes longer and costs more.

Trenching through tree roots requires hand digging rather than machine trenching, which increases labor costs significantly.

Plant Material: You Get What You Pay For

Plant costs vary enormously based on size, species, and availability.

Typical plant pricing:

Shrubs:

• 1-gallon: $8-$25
• 3-gallon: $25-$60
• 7-gallon: $60-$150
• 15-gallon: $150-$400

Trees:

• 7-gallon: $75-$200
• 15-gallon: $150-$400
• 25-gallon: $300-$800
• 45-gallon and up: $800-$3,000+

Palms:

• Small (6-8 feet): $150-$400
• Medium (8-12 feet): $400-$1,200
• Large (12-16 feet): $1,200-$4,000+

These are material costs. Installation adds 50-100% depending on size and site conditions.

What Affects Plant Costs

Size and maturity: Bigger plants cost exponentially more, not just because of the plant itself, but because of harvesting, transportation, and installation labor.

A 15-gallon tree takes two people 30 minutes to plant. A 45-gallon tree requires equipment and takes a crew several hours.

Species and availability: Common plants (wax myrtle, Indian hawthorn, standard palms) cost less than specialty or hard-to-find varieties.

Native plants are sometimes cheaper because they're locally propagated, but rare natives can cost more than common exotics.

Seasonal demand: Plant prices increase during peak planting season (fall and spring in Jacksonville) and decrease during slow periods.

Source: Big-box stores sell cheap plants, but mortality rates are higher and variety is limited. Professional nurseries charge more but offer healthier plants, better selection, and guarantees.

Installation Costs

Labor for planting includes:

• Digging holes (2-3x root ball width)
• Soil amendment
• Planting at proper depth
• Mulching
• Initial watering
• Cleanup

Small shrubs (1-3 gallon): $15-$30 per plant Medium shrubs (7-gallon): $40-$80 per plant Large shrubs/small trees (15-gallon): $80-$150 per plant Large trees (25-gallon+): $150-$500+ per plant

For trees requiring equipment (spades, cranes), costs increase substantially.

Hardscaping: Where Costs Escalate Quickly

Hardscaping—patios, walkways, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens—typically costs more per square foot than planting or sod.

Pavers:

• Materials: $8-$30 per square foot
• Installation: $12-$25 per square foot
• Total: $20-$55 per square foot

A 300 square foot paver patio costs $6,000-$16,500.

Retaining walls:

• Concrete block: $25-$45 per square foot
• Natural stone: $40-$80+ per square foot

A 30-foot-long, 3-foot-high wall (90 sq ft) costs $2,250-$7,200.

Outdoor kitchens: Basic (built-in grill, counters): $5,000-$12,000 Mid-range (grill, sink, refrigerator, storage): $12,000-$30,000 High-end (full kitchen, pizza oven, bar): $30,000-$80,000+

Why Hardscaping Costs So Much

Materials are heavy and expensive. A pallet of pavers weighs 2,000-4,000 pounds. Delivery costs add up, especially for small quantities.

Installation is labor-intensive. You can't rush hardscaping. Base preparation, leveling, cutting, and fitting take time.

Base preparation is critical. In Jacksonville, proper base prep prevents settling and failure. This means excavating 6-12 inches, installing compacted base material in layers, and ensuring proper drainage.

Cutting corners on base prep leads to pavers that settle, shift, or develop drainage problems within a couple years.

Skilled labor required. Installing pavers or building walls that look professional requires experience. Poorly installed hardscaping is immediately obvious.

Mulch and Bed Preparation

Mulch seems like a minor expense until you calculate how much you actually need.

Mulch costs:

• Pine bark: $35-$50 per cubic yard
• Hardwood: $40-$60 per cubic yard
• Cypress: $45-$65 per cubic yard
• Pine straw: $5-$8 per bale (covers ~50 sq ft at 3")

Installation:

• DIY: Just material costs
• Professional: $60-$100 per cubic yard installed

For a 500 square foot bed at 3 inches deep, you need about 4.6 cubic yards. That's $230-$300 in materials or $400-$650 installed.

Bed Edging

Professional bed edging defines planting areas and keeps mulch contained:

• Plastic/poly edging: $1.50-$3 per linear foot installed
• Aluminum edging: $4-$8 per linear foot installed
• Steel edging: $6-$12 per linear foot installed
• Concrete curbing: $8-$15 per linear foot installed

Drainage Solutions

Jacksonville's flat topography and heavy summer rains create drainage challenges.

French drains: $25-$50 per linear foot installed Catch basins: $300-$800 each installed Regrading: $500-$3,000 depending on scope Dry creek beds: $15-$40 per linear foot

Drainage work is expensive because it's underground, requires excavation, uses gravel and pipe, and needs proper slope calculation to function.

But it's necessary. Poor drainage kills plants, creates mosquito breeding areas, and can damage foundations.

What Adds to Costs

Permits and Inspections

Most landscaping doesn't require permits in Jacksonville, but irrigation systems, large retaining walls, and work near wetlands might.

Permit costs: $100-$500 depending on scope Inspection fees: $50-$150

Factor in time for permit approval (days to weeks).

Site Access and Obstacles

Easy access keeps costs down. Complications increase them:

• Gated communities with restricted access hours
• No street parking or staging area
• Underground utilities requiring hand digging
• Existing plants that must be worked around
• Tree roots, rocks, or poor soil conditions

Design Services

Professional landscape design: $500-$5,000+ depending on property size and complexity.

Some companies include basic design with installation. Detailed plans from landscape architects cost more but result in better outcomes.

Warranties and Guarantees

Reputable companies warranty their work:

• Plant guarantees: 30 days to 1 year
• Installation warranty: 1-5 years
• Irrigation system warranty: 1-2 years

This adds cost but protects your investment.

Understanding Estimates

When you get three estimates and they vary wildly, look at what's included:

Low estimate might exclude:

• Soil amendment
• Quality plant material
• Proper irrigation design
• Adequate base prep for hardscaping
• Cleanup and disposal
• Warranty

High estimate might include:

• Premium materials
• Extensive site prep
• Skilled labor
• Detailed design
• Long-term warranty
• Maintenance services

Sometimes you're comparing apples to oranges.

Seasonal Pricing

Landscaping costs fluctuate seasonally:

Peak season (September-November, March-May): Highest demand, highest prices, longer wait times.

Slow season (December-February, June-August): Lower demand can mean better pricing and faster scheduling.

Some companies offer winter discounts to keep crews busy.

The Bottom Line

Landscaping in Jacksonville isn't cheap, but understanding cost drivers helps you budget appropriately and evaluate estimates.

The cheapest option isn't always the best value. Poor installation leads to plant loss, system failures, and do-overs that cost more than hiring qualified professionals initially.

Get detailed estimates that break down materials, labor, and specific inclusions. Ask about warranties. Check references.

And remember: quality landscaping is a long-term investment that increases property value and enjoyment of your outdoor space. Done right, it pays dividends for years.